IV. Understanding the "Day of the Lord" A. What is the day of the Lord? 1. Definition -- Isaiah 13:6-16,14:1-7; 2 Peter 3:10 2. Characteristics of the tribulation portion of the day of the Lord. B. When will the day of the Lord occur? -- Mal. 4:5; 1 Thes. 5:1-3; 2 Thes. 2:1-12 1. After the coming of Elijah the prophet -- Malachi 4:5-6; Luke 1:13-17 2. After the rapture of the church -- 2 Thes. 2:1-3,7-8 3. Like a thief in the night -- 1 Thes. 5:1-3

V. Understanding 2 Thessalonians 2 A. Issue: The rapture and the day of the Lord -- vss. 1-2 B. Chronology of the onset of: The day of the Lord -- vss. 3-12 1. The apostasy must come first -- vs. 3a 2. The man of lawlessness is then revealed -- vss. 3b-5 3. The man of lawlessness will be revealed after the restrainer is removed -- vss. 6-12

VI. Tribulation Period events A. Chronology from Matthew 24-25 1. Chronology of tribulation events: Matthew 24:1-31 2. Preparation for the tribulation and related events -- Matthew 24:32-25:46 B. Chronology from the book Revelation and other passages

VI. Tribulation Period events A. Chronology from Matthew 24-25 1. Chronology of tribulation events: Matthew 24:1-31 a. Jesus speaks to disciples about destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 -- vss. 1-2 b. Jesus' Disciples wanted clarification on temple, His coming and end of the age -- vs. 3 c. Jesus told them about the end of the age and His coming -- vss. 4-31

NOTE: Jesus spoke about the temple's destruction (Luke 21:20-24) though Matthew did not record this, though Luke did.

d. Jesus describes the first half of the tribulation period -- vss. 4-14

Some understand verses 4-14 as the time in which we are now living -- as a precursor (what comes before) to the tribulation period. They do not see it as a description of the first half of the tribulation period itself. This is not a correct interpretation of this passage, even though there may be some similarities to the days leading up to the tribulation period.

2. Preparation for the tribulation and related events (note: these are warnings to the "generation" that will see these things) -- Matthew 24:32-25:46; Rev. 16:15 a) Jesus speaks in parables about being prepared for the end time -- vss. 24:32-51 1) Parable about the fig tree -- vss. 32-44 a. Recognize that the time is near -- vss. 32-35 b. Only the Father knows when this will occur -- vs. 36 c. His second coming will be like in the days of Noah -- vss. 37-44 (cf. Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43; 47-50) 2) Parable of the slaves -- vss. 45-51 a. The faithful slave who awaits Christ's return will be blessed -- vss. 45-47 b. The evil slave shall be punished -- vss. 48-51 3) Parable about the ten virgins -- vss. 25:1-13 a. Five foolish virgins were not prepared for Christ's coming -- vss. 1-9 b. Five prudent virgins were prepared and entered the wedding feast -- vs. 10 c. One needs to be prepared -- vss. 11-13 4) Parable about the talents -- vss. 25:14-30 a. Three slaves were given responsibility by their master -- vss. 14-15 b. The actions of the slaves after their master departed -- vss. 16-18 c. The first slave (5 talents) -- vs. 16 d. The second slave (2 talents) -- vs. 17 e. The third slave (1 talent) -- vs. 18 f. The results of the slaves upon their master's return -- vss. 19-30 1. The first slave was rewarded -- vss. 19-21 2. The second slave was rewarded -- vss. 22-23 3. The third slave was punished -- vss. 24-30 b) Jesus speaks about the sheep/goat judgment of the nations at His coming -- vss. 25:31-46 1) Jesus will separate the believers from the unbelievers -- vss. 31-33 2) Jesus will reward the believers with life in the kingdom -- vss. 34-40 3) Jesus will punish the unbelievers with eternal punishment - - vss. 41-46

This information has been provided to help the student understand the theory presented that the 7th seal judgment contains the 7 trumpet judgments and that the 7th trumpet judgment contains the 7 bowl judgments.

6th seal Rev. 6:12 (an earthquake where mountains and islands moved out of their place) 7th seal Rev. 8:5 (lightening and peals of thunder, and earthquake) 7th trumpet Rev. 11:19 (lightening and peals of thunder, great earthquake and hailstorm) 7th trumpet depicts Christ as reigning in His kingdom 7th bowl Rev. 16:18 (lightening and peals of thunder, great earthquake where mountains and islands are gone and hailstorm with 100 pound hailstones)

So we see that the 7th seal, the 7th trumpet and the 7th bowl all end at the same time with an earthquake.

VIII. Trumpet Issues Relating to End Time Events

A. Matthew 24:31

"And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

This trumpet will sound at the end of the tribulation period. This trumpet signals the gathering of the children of Israel and believers from the tribulation period to Jerusalem.

B. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

"Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishabe, and we will be changed."

This trumpet will be sounded at the rapture, just before the dead in Christ are raised. See 1 Thessalonians 4:16 below. We see that it is the last trumpet. How is it the last trumpet? Let's look at three possibilities.

1. Some see this as the last of the trumpet judgments -- the seventh trumpet -- therefore holding to a rapture and resurrection that takes place during the tribulation period. For the reasons stated above, Scripture clearly shows that the rapture will take place before the tribulation period, so this trumpet cannot be referring to the seventh trumpet judgment. Also, this trumpet has nothing to do with judgment as the seventh trumpet does in the book of Revelation.

2. Another view is that this trumpet coincides with the Jewish Feast of Trumpets, and that the church's removal from the earth will coincide with this feast. The feast of trumpets had three facets to it. It says in Leviticus 23:23-25 about this feast:

"Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 'You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD.'"

We see in this passage that the three facets of the feast of trumpets are:

a. A time of rest b. A holy convocation or assembly c. A time to present an offering

3. Another view is that the last trumpet represents the church being summoned to assemble in heaven (cf. Num. 10:2; Joel 2:15) to meet God as when the children of Israel met God in the wilderness (cf. Exo. 19:16-17).

4. A final view would be that the last trumpet represents a call of victory to a victorious church who is being called home because it has completed its purpose in the plan of God.

C. 1 Thessalonians 4:16

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first."

This trumpet will be sounded at the rapture, just before the dead in Christ are raised.

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